LA Tech Week 2025: Wednesday’s Event Lineup

LA Tech Week 2025: Wednesday’s Event Lineup

Here's the Wednesday, October 15th lineup for LA Tech Week 2025, organized by location so you can easily explore events that fit your goals and schedule. Dive in and see what’s happening near you!

ARTS DISTRICT

5:00 PM – 7:30 PM

  • Heat & Haze: LA’s Dual Climate Emergency: See Details Here
    ThermoShade, AirVitalize, JPMorgan

BEL AIR

7:00 PM

BEVERLY HILLS

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

  • Rejuvenation Mansion: See Details Here
    Rejuvenation Summit, iceless.la, Roam & Reset

11:00 AM

  • Series A founders +Investors@ Private Club Hollywood, featuring Arthur Spivak: See Details Here
    Atlas Cloud AI, Amino Capital, Wilson Sonsini

2:00 PM

  • LAVA Bio/Global LAVA Korea LA TechWeek Showcase: *Invite Only*
    LAVA

3:30 PM

5:30 PM

5:30 PM

  • What's Next in Comms –Happy Hour by PeakMetrics & Stakeholder Labs: See Details Here
    PeakMetrics

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

  • BAD BITCH EMPIRE: Unapologetic Wealth: See Details Here
    Bad Bitch Empire, Women in AI

6:30 PM

  • LIGHT DAO SALON: Investor Fireside Chat with: Saurabh Suri, CerraCap Ventures: See Details Here
    Light Dao, EVOLVING POTENTIAL

BRENTWOOD

11:15 AM

  • Longevity: Investable Science: See Details Here
    Monarch Athletic Club, The Reason Longevity AI Intelligence

CENTURY CITY

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

  • VCPE: LA TECH WEEK Panel & Pitch 2025: See Details Here
    VCPE GROUPS, ECVC ACCELERATOR, Sente Ventures

11:00 AM – 1:30 PM

  • Investing in Music’s Future Through Advocacy & Innovation: See Details Here
    Solid Gold Global, BMO

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

2:30 PM – 5:30 PM

  • VCPE & FAMILY OFFICES Happy Hour: See Details Here
    VCPE GROUPS, LiveToGive, AutoParts.com

4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

  • a16z Speedrun x Litquidity Ventures: Investor Padel Mixer: See Details Here
    Litquidity Ventures, a16z speedrun

5:30 PM

  • Built Smarter: Tech Shaping Housing: See Details Here
    YIMBY Los Angeles, Venable LLP

6:30 PM

CULVER CITY

8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

  • The Future of High Performance: Longevity, Recovery, and Resilience in Tech: See Details Here
    ConciergeMD

4:30 PM – 7:30 PM

  • OpenDrives' Astraeus Product Launch Celebration: Bringing the Cloud Back Down to Earth: See Details Here
    OpenDrives

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

  • Techstars Aerospace & Defense Happy Hour w/ US Space Force and NASA JPL: See Details Here
    Techstars Space, Wilson Sonsini, Leonid Capital Partners

5:00 PM

5:00 PM

5:30 PM – 8:00 PM

6:30 PM

DTLA

9:00 AM

  • Future of Connectivity, Automation Impacting Companies, Retailers, and Family Offices: See Details Here
    Inspire Global Ventures, Digital Evolution Institute

10:00 AM

6:00 PM

ECHO PARK

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

EL SEGUNDO

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

1:00 PM

  • XR, Robotics & AI in Film Panels: *Invite Only*
    Undercurrent XR Studios

5:00 PM

  • Black Flag National Security Happy Hour: See Details Here
    Shield Capital, Harpoon Ventures, In-Q-Tel

5:30 PM

  • First & Third | A HardTech Happy Hour: See Details Here
    Third Prime, AWS, First Resonance

5:30 PM – 8:00 PM

  • Stress Tested: Defense Tech Meeting Reality: See Details Here
    Starburst, Picogrid

5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

  • Founders, Funders, & Forever Companies: A Mid-Week Mixer: See Details Here
    Trousdale Ventures

6:00 PM

  • Women in Data: *Invite Only*
    Sigma Computing, Prodege, Snowflake

7:00 PM

  • AI for building rockets and robots: CAD Reimiagined: See Details Here
    Hestus, Artifact, Rock Yard Ventures

HOLLYWOOD

11:00 AM – 1:30 PM

  • Imagination x Innovation: Tech's Role in the Future of Entertainment: See Details Here
    a16z speedrun, Comcast

12:00 PM

3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

  • Happy Hour & Panel with Crunchyroll, Vuori and Transcarent: See Details Here
    Mixpanel

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

5:00 PM – 8:30 PM

5:30 PM

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

  • AI, Learning and Creative Futures: See Details Here
    ASU Herberger Institute of Design and The Arts, FYI Campus (Will.i.am)

KOREATOWN

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

MALIBU

12:00 PM

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

MAR VISTA

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

  • The Longevity Advantage: How Top Founders Use Performance Medicine To Outlast: See Details Here
    Pooja Gidwani MD, Inc.

MARINA DEL REY

8:00 AM

10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

11:00 AM

  • Startup Groundworks by JPMorgan: *Invite Only*
    JPMorgan

2:30 PM - 4:30 PM

  • Inside the Minds Bending Our Reality: See Details Here
    USC Information Sciences Institute, Stifel Venture Banking

4:00 PM

5:00 PM - 7:30 PM

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

  • Elevated Spirits: SA&M Tech Week Exclusive Mixer: See Details Here
    Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

PASADENA

8:00 AM

  • Hacking Human Happiness: See Details Here
    Innovate Pasadena, Art Center College of Design, City of Pasadena

PLAYA VISTA

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

  • Smart to Intelligent: AI and the Connected Home: See Details Here
    IRVINEi, Loyola Marymount University

SANTA MONICA

12:19 AM

  • The Future of Robotics & Self-Driving Cars: Building Innovation: *Invite Only*
    TECHBUXIN

6:30 AM

8:00 AM

  • Founder Flow: Morning Yoga w/ Cake Equity: See Details Here
    Cake Equity, Cooley LLP

8:00 AM

8:30 AM

  • Early-Stage B2B Tech Founders & Funders Breakfast: See Details Here
    Forum Ventures, Zendesk, Cooley

8:30 AM – 10:30 AM

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

  • MachineTrader in Action: Low-Code Infrastructure for Serious Traders.: See Details Here
    MachineTrader.io, Alpaca Markets

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

9:00 AM

  • Penthouse Investor Breakfast with Vulcury Venture Studio: See Details Here
    Vulcury Venture Studio

9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

  • The Predictive CFO: Finance Leadership in the Age of AI: See Details Here
    Elements

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

  • The Future of FitTech: How AI is Reshaping Fitness: See Details Here
    VSPYR, Fred Fitness

10:00 AM – 12:00 AM

  • SoCal Black Tech Express Pitch Competition: See Details Here
    Musa Capital, Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles, Daraja Collective

10:00 AM

  • Hyrox & InStudio Ventures Present: Sweat & Network at Fitstop: Invite Only
    InStudio Ventures, HYROX, Fitstop

10:00 AM

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

  • Hands-On with the Alpaca MCP Server: Natural Language Trading: See Details Here
    MachineTrader.io, Alpaca Markets

11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

12:00 PM

  • Safeguarding the essence of family in an AI-Driven Future: See Details Here
    Trove, MindfulBytes

12:00 PM

  • Investor 360: VC Fireside Chat
    Stubbs Alderton & Markiles Preccelerator

12:00 PM

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

1:00 PM

1:00 PM

  • LA-Tech CEO Summit: Invite Only
    LA-Tech.org

1:00 PM

  • The Founder’s Fight Club: See Details Here
    Braav Security, Santa Monica Striking

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

2:00 PM

2:00 PM

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

  • Connect & Match: Tech Talent & Hiring Managers Navigate the Messy Middle: See Details Here
    Product Advisory Collective (PAC), Product Hiring House

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM

  • Beachside Female Founder Crawl: See Details Here
    Anne Taylor Communications, LLC., With Mari

2:30 PM

3:00 PM

  • AI in Africa Panel - Landscape, Opportunities, & Challenges
    Exo AI

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

3:00 PM - 5:30 PM

  • Climate Connect: Pickle Edition - Blue Bear + JPM: See Details Here
    BlueBear Capital, J.P. Morgan

3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

  • Talking with your data: ‘AI for BI’ happy hour: See Details Here
    Google Cloud, Looker

3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

  • The Future of Social Commerce: See Details Here
    Outlandish, TikTok, The Dodo Group, FHI Heat, Wyze, Back in the Box

3:00 PM

4:00 PM

4:00 PM

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

  • Startups, Investors & Women Leaders: See Details Here
    Product Advisory Collective (PAC), Capacity Capital

4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

  • The Future of Creator Content Markets: See Details Here
    Winston Francois, Founder Mode

4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

  • Shaping Stories: Journalism, PR, Tech in a New Era: See Details Here
    Fr8qu8ncy, All In One Entertainment

4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

  • Community Led Launches: A Fireside Chat w/ Lavinia Errico (Equinox) & Actress Meagan Good: See Details Here
    CRWD

4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

  • Vision to Velocity: Public Funding Pathways for DeepTech Founders: See Details Here
    Origin Ventures, Embark

4:30 PM – 7:00 PM

  • The Future of Mobility UX, a salon hosted by CoMotion & BMW Designworks: See Details Here
    CoMotion, BMW Designworks

5:00 PM

  • Signals & Capital - Where SaaS Is Heading & Who's Funding It: See Details Here
    Efficient Capital Labs, BDev Ventures, Mercury

5:00 PM

  • Personal Branding for founders & creators: See Details Here
    Girls Club, Oui We Studio, The Escapism Retreat

5:00 PM

5:00 PM

5:00 PM

  • Biz@Sunset Mixer: *Invite Only*
    Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, Shore Hote

5:00 PM

  • Neurodivergent Founders & Funders: A happy hour: See Details Here
    Shimmer, Neurode

5:00 PM

  • Innovation in Sports, Media & Entertainment with OneTeam and Waverley Capital: See Details Here
    One Team Partners, Waverley Capital

5:00 PM

  • Coffee & Chill: Gamers Unite at the Energy Station with Blockus: *Invite Only*
    Blockus

5:00 PM

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

  • The Next Orbit: Deep Tech & Beyond: See Details Here
    Fenwick, Generation Space, Upfront Ventures

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

  • CPG Happy Hour- XRC Brand Builder Grant Closing Event: See Details Here
    XRC Ventures, SHOPLINE, Manatt

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

  • The After-Hours Exchange: AI & Innovation Mixer: See Details Here
    Law Offices of Shan Potts

5:00 PM – 7:30 PM

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

  • Experience the Future of AI Filmmaking: See Details Here
    Neu Wave AI Films, cinemarket AI

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

  • Life After Perforce: Next-Gen Version Control for Game Dev & Virtual Production: See Details Here
    Diversion

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

  • Smart Brand Solutions: Tech Innovations 2025-2030: See Details Here
    Portal Media Center, Xavvi

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

  • Women in Tech (Sales, MKTG, & PR): See Details Here
    Kat Rucker Consulting Group, JTS - Joiful Talent Solutions

5:00 PM – 10:00 PM

  • AI FILMAKING: HOLLYWOOD'S NEW ALGORITHM: See Details Here
    Syndicate AI, Hollo AI, Hustle Fund

5:30 PM

5:30 PM

  • From Exec to investor: making the leap from running companies: *Invite Only*
    a16z speedrun

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

6:00 PM

  • Games fireside chat and dinner with ElevenLabs: *Invite Only*
    ElevenLabs

6:00 PM

  • Breaking Barriers: Leveraging Biotech for Upward Mobility: See Details Here
    Biotech Connection Los Angeles, LA BioSpace

6:00 PM

6:00 PM

  • The Tech + Media Mixer With Fr8qu8ncy: See Details Here
    Fr8qu8ncy, The Omniverse City, All In One Entertainment, Trend

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

  • Youth Mental Well-Being and AI Panel/Mixer: See Details Here
    Headstream, iOpening Enterprises, Innovation Hub at Georgetown's Thrive Center, SidePorch

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

  • The Next Level: The Unfair Advantages of Building with a Venture Studio: See Details Here
    Expa

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

  • The Agent Era : Get Your Own AI Career Agent: See Details Here
    HeyNavii.ai, hawkemedia

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

  • J.P. Morgan Presents: State of the Software Market ft. Alumni Ventures, Invoca, and K1: See Details Here
    J.P. Morgan, K1 Investment Management, Alumni Ventures, Invoca

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

  • Forging The Future: A Discussion With Founders Building the Future of A&D: See Details Here
    Venturing Through Venture

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

  • Health Tech Exec Happy Hour by Rounds Health, MEDU, and Objective: See Details Here
    Rounds Health

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

  • Artificially Unintelligent Tech Comedy Show + Open Bar, with Vanta, Fondo & Axle Health: See Details Here
    Not So Daily Stand Up Comedy LLC, Vanta, Fondo Inc

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

  • In Good Company: Pitch-A-Founder: See Details Here
    The Neon White, Code Tech, Zendevr

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

6:30 PM

  • Unpacked: A Midweek Happy Hour for Creative Women in Tech: See Details Here
    PRISM Bags

7:00 PM

  • Curated Founder Dinner - Top Tech Founders (Apply/Invite-only): See Details Here
    KStar Holdings, GeekDoingGood.org

7:00 PM

  • The Re-Up: A Tech, Wellness & Art Experience: *Invite Only*
    GloFlow Wellness

7:00 PM

  • Santa Monica Fireside Dinner for LA TechWeek
    VioletX

7:00 PM

7:00 PM

  • Tech & Tonic - Learn & Social | Includes 1 Drink: See Details Here
    Los Angeles Fun Events

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

  • XRC Founder & Investor Dinner - XRC x SHOPLINE Brand Builder Grant: See Details Here
    XRC Ventures, SHOPLINE, Manatt

7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

7:30 PM

  • Emerging Technology: See Details Here
    Lawrence Harvey - Emerging Tech Specialists, Lawrence Harvey

8:00 PM

  • What's Next: An Evening with Expa: *Invite Only*
    Expa

UCLA

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

  • Ghosted by Humans, Heard by AI?: See Details Here
    The Data Science Union at UCLA, SAY!T Mental Health

VENICE

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

  • LA Tech Week - Women in VC Breakfast: See Details Here
    Fulcrum Venture Group, iSquared Capital, Juniper Square

9:00 AM

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

11:00 AM

12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

2:00 PM – 7:00 PM

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

3:00 PM

  • Family Office Seed to Scale: *Invite Only*
    Family Office Cross Border Alliance

3:00 PM – 6:30 PM

  • Google Cloud's CTO Connect - The New AI Creative Era & Happy Hour: See Details Here
    Google Cloud

4:00 PM

  • From Code to Cognitive: Building AI Agents & Automated Workflows: See Details Here
    Ardas

4:00 PM

  • Female Founders and Funders Happy Hour: See Details Here
    2 to 20, Rhodes Creative Group, TriNet, Orrick

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

  • Founder Friends: See Details Here
    Hustle Fund, Rivian, Fidelity Private Shares, Mercer Advisors

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

  • AI, Innovation & Oktoberfest!: See Details Here
    NRW.Global Business (North America)

5:30 PM

5:30 PM – 8:00 PM

  • Founders x Fractionals: The Future of Venture Building - A Build Momentum Launch Party: See Details Here
    Build Momentum

6:00 PM

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

7:00 PM

VENICE BEACH

9:00 AM

  • Swiss Watch AI: The $7B Opportunity - Morning Coffee and Pastries: See Details Here
    ViviScout

7:30 PM – 9:00 PM

VIRTUAL (LA)

11:00 AM

  • Capital + Growth: The New Model of Company Building: See Details Here
    Untapped Ventures

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

  • Hard Truths: Why Hardware Startups Fail Part II: See Details Here
    Hardware Velocity

WEST ADAMS

4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

  • Breaking Into Cyber: Your Roadmap to a New Career: See Details Here
    The Gathering Spot, What If Security, KSCOPE

WEST HOLLYWOOD

11:00 AM

  • Series A founders +Investors@ Private Club Hollywood, featuring Arthur Spivak: See Details Here
    Amino Capital, Atlas Cloud, Wilson Sonsini

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

  • Scaling Your Consumer AI Startup | Panel with Snap & OpenAI | Hosted by Maven Ventures: See Details Here
    Maven Ventures, Inworld

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

  • 『AI Founders' Meetup』🌟 LA Digital Commerce Night: See Details Here
    UpScaleX, Moxy

7:00 PM – 9:30 PM

WEST SIDE

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

  • Who Regulates the Robots? Startups, Ethics, and the AI Wild West: See Details Here
    Sunstone Management, Pepperdine Graziado Business School

4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

  • Visionaries & VCs - The Early Stage Edition: See Details Here
    Amplify, Bling Capital, ActOne, Ventures

6:00 PM

  • AI + IS (Artificial Intelligence + Imagined Self): *Invite Only*
    MRKAI

6:30 PM - 9:00 PM

  • The Future of Pickleball - An LA Tech Week Roundtable: See Details Here
    DinkSmart

For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

Enjoy LA Tech Week 2025!

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Impulse Space Just Raised $308M to Build the Roads in Orbit
Impulse Space

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday, Los Angeles.

Space may not have roads, but it still has a transportation problem.

Rockets have become remarkably good at carrying satellites beyond Earth. Once those satellites reach space, however, getting them from one orbit to another can still be slow, expensive or impossible.

Redondo Beach-based Impulse Space wants to change that, and investors are giving it considerably more fuel for the journey.

The company raised a $308M extension to its Series D, bringing the round’s total to $808M. The new financing comes just over three months after Impulse announced the initial $500M raise and pushes its total capital raised above $1.3B.

Existing investors 137 Ventures, BANNER VC, DFJ Growth, Linse Capital, Lux Capital and Valor Equity Partners participated in the extension. Impulse did not disclose a valuation, but convincing existing backers to commit another $308M so soon after an already substantial round is a strong signal of confidence in both the company and the market it is pursuing.

Founded by former SpaceX propulsion executive Tom Mueller, Impulse is building vehicles designed to move satellites and payloads after they have already reached space. If rockets are responsible for getting cargo off the ground, Impulse wants to handle what happens after delivery.

Impulse Space

Its Mira spacecraft is built for precise maneuvering, payload deployment and proximity operations in orbit. Helios, scheduled for its first flight in 2027, is a high-energy kick stage designed to move payloads from low Earth orbit to destinations such as geostationary orbit in less than a day. The company has also introduced an electric propulsion system called Electra and a rideshare service aimed at making higher-energy orbits more accessible.

Together, those products represent something larger than a collection of spacecraft. Impulse is attempting to build a transportation network for an economy that increasingly needs one.

That need is becoming harder to ignore. More satellites are reaching orbit, governments are prioritizing responsive space capabilities and commercial operators want greater flexibility after launch. A satellite that can change position, reach a different orbit or respond quickly to a new mission is significantly more useful than one permanently tied to its original destination.

The U.S. government is already putting Impulse’s thesis to work. Helios was selected for the U.S. Space Force’s National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 program, making it the first upper-stage prime awarded a position in the program. Impulse also received a $28M contract extension to provide two Mira spacecraft for additional Space Systems Command missions.

The company says its headcount has more than doubled over the past year as it expanded its facilities in Redondo Beach, Mojave, Boulder and Washington, D.C. The new capital will support further hiring, product development and facility growth as Impulse works to serve commercial, civil and defense customers.

It also recently appointed its first chief financial officer, Adam Townsend, who previously helped guide Vizio through an IPO and its eventual sale to Walmart. The hire is another sign that Impulse is preparing for a more complex chapter, one defined not only by engineering milestones but also by a growing capital base, government contracts and large-scale operations.

That is where this announcement becomes more interesting than its considerable price tag.

Impulse has already shown that Mira can operate in space. Now it must prove that it can turn several ambitious vehicles into dependable infrastructure. The difference between a promising spacecraft company and a transportation network is repetition: more missions, more customers and systems that work reliably enough to become part of how the space economy operates.

An $808M round gives Impulse the resources to pursue that vision. It also raises the expectations attached to it.

For Southern California, the financing reinforces the region’s role in the new space economy. Los Angeles helped build the original aerospace industry, and a new generation of companies is now developing the vehicles, factories and infrastructure intended to support life beyond the launchpad.

Impulse Space is tackling what may be the next big bottleneck. Getting to space is only the beginning.

Someone still has to get you where you are going.

More from this week’s LA startup and venture scene below.

🤝 Venture Deals

    LA Venture Funds

    • Riot Ventures co-led EnduroSat’s $205M funding round alongside Atreides Management, with participation from GV, Founders Fund, Lux Capital, the European Innovation Council and other investors. The Bulgarian space company will use the capital to open a high-volume satellite factory in the U.S., build a major European space and defense hub and scale production of its standardized spacecraft. - learn more
    • Upfront Ventures and M13 participated in Ayble Health’s $16M Series A, led by Neon and joined by Unum Ventures, Cleveland Clinic Ventures, DigiTx and Accomplice. The virtual-care company will use the funding to expand its AI-enabled clinic for chronic digestive and autoimmune conditions across national health plans, major employers and benefits platforms, bringing its total capital raised to more than $27M. - learn more
    • Blue Heron Ventures participated in Voxela’s Series A, led by Delight Ventures and joined by SOMPO Growth Partners, Happiness Capital, Archetype Ventures and ALL STAR SAAS FUND, bringing the eldercare technology company’s total funding to approximately $13.2M. Voxela will use the capital to expand hiring and develop new AI capabilities for its VCare platform, which helps care facilities monitor residents, prevent incidents and automate administrative work such as documentation and reporting. - learn more
    • Clocktower Technology Ventures participated in Mainstay’s more than $18M growth round alongside new investors Parker89, Stackpoint, Alpaca VC and FJ Labs, as well as returning backers Khosla Ventures and Era Ventures. Mainstay also acquired AI-powered listing platform Truelist and will use the funding to bring its real estate data, pricing and automation infrastructure to more brokerages, agents and smaller investors. - learn more
    • Amboy Street Ventures participated in Evvy’s $40M Series B, led by Catalio Capital Management and joined by new and returning investors including Rethink Impact, Muse Capital, Labcorp Venture Fund and General Catalyst. Evvy will use the funding to expand its AI-powered women’s health diagnostics and care platform, beginning with fertility, while growing distribution through physicians and strategic partners. - learn more
    • Second Sight Ventures participated in Fin.com’s $20M seed round, led by Expa and Uber co-founder Garrett Camp, with backing from Coinbase Ventures and other investors. The payments infrastructure startup will use the funding to expand its cross-border network through additional acquisitions and plans to acquire a bank within six months. - learn more
    • Clearlake Capital, Mantis Venture Capital and Sound Ventures participated in Factory’s $200M funding round, which valued the AI software development company at $5B and brought its total funding above $400M. Factory will use the capital to accelerate research, product development and global expansion for its platform, which enables enterprises to build, manage and improve software using autonomous AI agents. - learn more
    • Navitas Capital led Scaffold’s $15M seed round, with participation from D.R. Horton, Pulte Homes, Builders FirstSource and other construction-industry investors. The Austin startup will use the funding to expand its engineering team and broaden its AI-powered platform, which connects homebuilders, contractors and suppliers to automate scheduling, purchase orders and other coordination work. - learn more
    • Halogen Ventures led it’s electric’s oversubscribed bridge round, joined by Wisdom Ventures, Future Communities, E8 Angels and other new and returning investors, bringing the curbside EV-charging startup’s total funding to $15M. The financing will support its rapid expansion, including a New York City contract to install hundreds of locally manufactured chargers across all five boroughs over the next three years. - learn more
    • Matter Venture Partners participated in Delos Data’s more than $100M funding round alongside Matrix, Playground Global, Socratic Partners, Capricorn’s Technology Impact Fund and IAG. The Palo Alto startup will use the capital to expand its engineering teams and accelerate development and sales of its Nonstop AI infrastructure, designed to reduce network bottlenecks and improve the speed and efficiency of AI inference. - learn more
    • Mantis Venture Capital and Gold House participated in A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya’s $5.5M pre-seed round alongside SV Angel, BoxGroup, Quiet Capital and other investors. Founded by Spotify’s former head of innovation, the startup is developing playful music apps that let users remix, manipulate and collaboratively create sounds rather than simply stream or generate songs. - learn more

    LA Exits

    • Headspace has agreed to be acquired by AI healthcare company Sword in a deal expected to close by the beginning of Q4 2026; financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition will combine Headspace’s mental health brand, global consumer base and network of more than 15,000 providers with Sword’s AI-powered clinical platform to offer more personalized and continuous care. - learn more
    • Nasty Gal was acquired by WSG Brands for an undisclosed amount, adding the women’s fashion label to a portfolio that also includes Von Dutch and Allbirds. WSG plans to expand Nasty Gal internationally and into categories such as footwear, beauty, activewear and accessories while growing its direct-to-consumer, wholesale and licensing businesses. - learn more
    • Converse Health was acquired by healthcare AI company Hello Patient for an undisclosed amount, bringing its back-office automation technology into the buyer’s platform. The combination will allow medical practices to use one system for patient communications and administrative work such as referral processing, chart follow-ups, authorization paperwork and medical records. - learn more

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      From Breaking Tech News to Backing It
      Image Source: Sources

      🔦 Spotlight

      Hey there, Los Angeles.

      For the past decade, Alex Heath has made a career out of figuring out what the technology industry is doing before everyone else.

      Now, he is going to invest in it.

      Heath announced this week that he is joining Los Angeles-based Sound Ventures as a partner on its investing team. The veteran technology journalist will continue independently operating Sources, the newsletter and podcast business he launched after leaving The Verge last year.

      It is an unusual career move, but perhaps not as unusual as it initially appears.

      Journalists and venture capitalists spend much of their time doing surprisingly similar work. Both look for signals before they become obvious, build relationships with people who know what is coming next and attempt to distinguish a lasting shift from a convincing story.

      The crucial difference is what happens after they find one.

      A journalist publishes. An investor writes a check.

      Heath has spent years reporting on some of the technology industry’s most powerful companies and executives. At The Verge, where he served as deputy editor, his work focused on the internal decisions shaping companies such as Meta. More recently, Sources has taken readers inside the AI race through reporting and interviews with executives including Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg.

      That experience gives Sound something venture firms increasingly want: someone who already understands the founders, companies and narratives competing to define the next era of technology.

      Sound Ventures is not exactly starting from scratch. Led in Los Angeles by Guy Oseary and Effie Epstein, the firm manages nearly $2B and has backed companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, World Labs, Brex, Affirm and GitLab. According to The Wall Street Journal, Sound deployed more than $800M into early positions in OpenAI, Anthropic and World Labs as it intensified its focus on artificial intelligence.

      Heath is joining during an important transition for the firm. Ashton Kutcher, who co-founded Sound with Oseary in 2015, departed earlier this year to launch a new venture firm. Oseary and Epstein are continuing to lead Sound while raising its fifth flagship fund and sharpening its strategy around companies with the potential to reach meaningful commercial scale.

      Adding Heath suggests that Sound’s next phase will not be defined by capital alone.

      As AI makes it faster and less expensive to build software, technical capability may become less effective as a differentiator. More startups will be able to create credible products, and more of them will compete for the same finite supply of customers, talent and attention.

      In that environment, knowing how to identify a compelling founder is only part of the job. Venture firms also need to understand how companies earn trust, communicate what makes them different and remain culturally relevant in an increasingly crowded market.

      That is familiar territory for Sound. Oseary built his career managing artists including Madonna and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, where recognizing talent was inseparable from helping that talent connect with an audience. Heath brings a different version of the same instinct, developed through finding important stories and understanding why people should pay attention to them.

      Heath will continue owning and operating Sources independently while expanding its podcast and interviewing prominent voices across the technology industry. That means he is not abandoning the platform or audience he built. He is adding a new vantage point.

      The combination could prove especially valuable to Sound. Heath brings the instincts of a reporter, the reach of an independent media founder and years of relationships with the people shaping technology. Now, he can apply that experience to finding and supporting the next generation of founders.

      It is a fitting evolution for someone who has spent his career identifying important technology stories early.

      This time, he will have the opportunity to help write what happens next.

      Venture firms once competed primarily through capital, networks and operating expertise. Now, access to attention is becoming an asset of its own. Founders need help reaching customers and shaping public understanding, while investors want better ways to recognize which people and ideas will command that attention next.

      Sound Ventures hired someone who has spent a decade doing exactly that.

      Heath used to decide which technology stories were worth following.

      Now, he will help decide which ones get funded.

      More from this week’s LA startup and venture scene below.

      🤝 Venture Deals

        LA Companies

        • Maven Robotics emerged from stealth with a $100M Series A and humanoid robots already operating in warehouse deployments. The company says its robots can work for 16 hours a day with 99% uptime and is positioning itself as a reliable alternative for businesses whose existing robotics providers fail to meet deployment targets. - learn more

        LA Venture Funds
        • Bedrock Capital participated in Mach Industries’ $600M Series C extension alongside Ribbit Capital, Infinite Capital and Sequoia, bringing the round’s total to $900M and doubling the defense startup’s valuation to $3.7B in three months. The Huntington Beach company manufactures lower-cost unmanned aircraft, strike weapons and counter-drone systems, while expanding into solid rocket motors and jet-engine production to address critical defense supply-chain bottlenecks. - learn more
        • U First Capital participated in Positron AI’s $875M funding round, which was co-led by NEA, Atreides Management, Valor Equity Partners, Andra Capital, SemiAnalysis Capital and Jim Clark, valuing the AI chip startup at $5B. Positron will use the capital to bring its memory-focused Asimov processor and Titan server system to market, offering an energy-efficient alternative to GPUs for running AI models. - learn more
        • WndrCo participated in Harvey’s $550M funding round, co-led by Diffusion and Lightspeed Venture Partners, valuing the legal AI company at $15.5B. Harvey will use the capital to expand its team and advance its AI platform, which helps law firms, in-house legal departments and professional-services organizations build and manage proprietary legal intelligence. - learn more
        • Nolan Capital participated in Encoded Therapeutics’ $275M Series F, which was co-led by GV and another healthcare-focused fund and included several new and returning investors. The biotech will use the capital to advance its lead gene therapy for Dravet syndrome through pivotal studies, expand its manufacturing capabilities and prepare another treatment for post-amputation nerve pain for clinical testing in 2027. - learn more
        • UP Partners led Overroute’s $5.5M seed round to expand its AI-powered freight execution platform for large trucking fleets and logistics operators. The company’s AI agents automate load monitoring, exception management and freight coordination, helping fleets respond to disruptions and keep shipments moving with less manual work. - learn more
        • Patron Fund participated in System’s $20M funding round alongside Will Ventures, Vine, Courtside, Daybreak, SV Angel and RiverPark Ventures. The San Francisco company will use the capital to expand its vertically integrated peptide platform, which connects patients with licensed clinicians and personalized treatments from U.S. compounding pharmacies while emphasizing testing, traceability and regulatory compliance. - learn more
        • Alpha Edison led Onix’s $5M pre-seed round, with participation from Garage Capital, Ride Home Fund and strategic investors including UTA co-founder Jeremy Zimmer and Real Ventures co-founder JS Cournoyer. The Montreal startup will use the funding to develop its private AI platform, onboard more specialists and prepare for a public launch, offering personalized guidance built exclusively from licensed expert knowledge rather than information scraped from the internet. - learn more
        • Rebel Fund participated in VideoGen’s $3.3M seed round alongside Y Combinator, Lobster Capital, Stretford End Capital, Mento VC, Pioneer Fund and Decacorn VC. The San Francisco startup, which has reached more than 5M users across 190 countries, will use the funding to expand its team and grow its AI platform for producing editable, copyright-free videos. - learn more

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          Who Gave the AI Access?

          🔦 Spotlight

          Happy Friday, Los Angeles.

          The newest employee in the office does not need a desk, a salary or a coffee order. But it may have access to your company’s emails, financial records, customer data and software systems.

          That raises a fairly important question: Who decides what an AI agent is allowed to do?

          El Segundo-based cybersecurity company Saviynt is building its next chapter around the answer.

          Carrick Capital Partners announced this week that it closed a $600M continuation vehicle for Saviynt, including a new $255M investment in the company. The transaction allowed Carrick’s existing investors to either take liquidity or remain invested, while also providing liquidity to Saviynt employees through a tender offer.

          Continuation vehicles are not exactly known for making gripping Friday reading. The company behind this one is considerably more interesting.

          Saviynt develops identity security software that helps businesses determine who can access their applications, data and infrastructure. Increasingly, however, “who” does not refer exclusively to a person.

          Companies are deploying AI agents that can retrieve information, write code, communicate with customers and complete multistep tasks with limited supervision. These digital workers need access to company systems to be useful, but every new permission also creates another opportunity for sensitive information to be exposed or an unintended action to be taken.

          In other words, AI agents may be tireless employees. They are not necessarily trustworthy ones.

          Saviynt is addressing that problem through Zuma, its platform for discovering, securing and governing AI agents, large language models and other nonhuman identities alongside a company’s human workforce. The goal is to give businesses one place to determine what every identity can access, whether it belongs to an employee, a contractor, a software application or an autonomous agent operating at machine speed.

          The opportunity appears to be growing quickly. Saviynt has surpassed $300M in annual recurring revenue, up from approximately $10M when Carrick first invested. The company says bookings have increased by more than 80% this year while customer retention remains at 96%.

          The new investment was completed as part of the final close of Saviynt’s previously announced $700M Series B, which valued the company at approximately $3B. Carrick’s continuation vehicle was led by Coller Capital and co-led by HSBC Asset Management, giving the investment firm more time and capital to remain behind one of its strongest-performing companies.

          For Saviynt, the funding will support further development of its identity platform, deeper integrations with major cloud and software providers and its push to become a central security layer for the agentic workplace.

          That ambition reflects a broader change taking place inside companies. The first wave of enterprise AI focused largely on what the technology could generate. The next phase is about what it can actually do, and whether businesses can maintain control once AI moves from answering questions to taking action.

          Saviynt is betting that identity will become the gatekeeper.

          AI agents are gaining access to the digital workplace, whether corporate security teams are ready for them or not.

          Someone still has to hold the keys.

          More from this week’s LA startup and venture scene below.

          🤝 Venture Deals

            LA Venture Funds

            • Fulcrum Ventures participated in Critical Materials Group’s $10.3M seed round, led by Overmatch Ventures and joined by Victory Six Advisors. The Austin-based defense manufacturer will use the funding to develop and commission modular, automation-ready production systems designed to expand domestic manufacturing capacity for munitions and advanced energetic materials. - learn more
            • Fusion VC participated in Newlight’s $9M seed round alongside lomarlabs, BIRD Energy, Undeterred Capital and CiRi Ventures. The San Francisco-based maritime technology company recently demonstrated its hydrogen-hybrid retrofit on an 8,500-nautical-mile commercial voyage, reducing fuel consumption by 24% and carbon dioxide emissions by 28%. - learn more
            • Rebel Fund participated in Metal’s $4.5M seed round alongside a16z, Y Combinator, Gaingels, Indus Valley Capital, Phaze Ventures and Pioneer Fund. Metal will use the funding to build an AI-native operating system that helps founders identify relevant investors, manage outreach and automate other parts of the venture fundraising process. - learn more
            • UP.Partners participated in Reframe Systems’ $40M funding round, led by Energy Impact Partners and joined by Counterpart Ventures, E12 Ventures, Global Brain, Thin Line Capital and LACI Impact Fund. The homebuilding startup will use the capital to expand its network of robotics-powered microfactories, which it says can construct homes three times faster and at 35% lower cost than traditional methods. - learn more
            • Clocktower Technology Ventures participated in Sharpi’s $4M seed round, co-led by NXTP and ONEVC and joined by MAYA Capital. The Brazilian startup will use the funding to expand its team and develop autonomous AI agents that connect WhatsApp conversations with enterprise systems to automate B2B sales tasks such as order processing, customer follow-ups and demand generation. - learn more

            LA Exits

            • Extensiv, a California-based provider of warehouse management and fulfillment software, has been acquired by Descartes Systems Group for approximately $120M in cash. The acquisition adds Extensiv’s AI-enabled inventory, order, billing and omnichannel fulfillment tools to Descartes’ logistics network, strengthening its offerings for third-party logistics providers and ecommerce brands. - learn more
            • DocSolutionUSA has been acquired by Stewart Information Services alongside ProTitleUSA, adding mortgage document generation and automation capabilities to Stewart’s title services platform. The companies provide title, document and due diligence services for mortgage servicers, investors and capital markets clients; financial terms were not disclosed. - learn more
            • Fysh Foods, the Los Angeles-based plant-based seafood brand founded by creator and entrepreneur Zoya Biglary, has been acquired by City Roots Hospitality in an all-cash deal with undisclosed terms. City Roots plans to introduce Fysh Foods’ raw fish alternatives across its New York City restaurants and potentially expand the brand beyond the city as its restaurant portfolio grows - learn more

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